Lock and block signal system.



APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1908.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

llllll-lfllllll drawing and will thereafter point out my 1n- A. UNITED lbi x in B Toall whom it may concern: Beit known that I, ROBERT J.Hnwnrr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Westfield, in thecounty of Union and State 5 of New Jersey, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Lock and Block SignalSystems, of which thefollowing is a secification,reference being'had therein to t eaccompanying. drawings, forming part thereof. y "My invention relatesparticularly to elec triizally-controlled manually-operated signallock-and-block systems for use in connection {with single-trackrailways, but it embodies various novel features applicable to systemsof other types. 1 I One object of the invention, is to produce a sig( alsystem in which a track circuit and 'trac ,battery are used and in whicha high degree of economy. in the use, of the track battery is secured,and to this end the invention comprises a, system in which the trackbattery is normally inactive, and in which the track battery, afterbeing thrown into circuit is again thrown out of circuit immediatelyupon the entrance of a train to the block,so that the battery isshortcircuited only for the instant required for the operation oftheelectrical apparatus, and is in operation only in the'short intervalof time betweenthe release of a signal and the entrance of a train tothe block. I Another object of the invention is to produce a system inwhich cut-section track- .circuit repeaters. are so arranged, inconnection with the route circuit as to set up automatically a trackcircuit in the right direction according to the direction in which asignal release is transmitted.

Other objects and features of theinvention will be noted in connectionwiththe description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention; y

I will now describe the embodiment of my invention illustrated in theaccompanying ventioniin claims. y

The drawing is a diagram of a single-track,

e'lectricall controlled, manually-operated,

lock-andlock signal system.

I The rails 1 and 2 of the single track form parts of a track circuit,and they. are divided and insulated at points 3 at the ends ofthe block,and at one v or more intermediate points. Two stations, designated asfSta-;

CO t i Q Tm F MA NE 2"" f LocKsIGNansYs'rn-Mcwi f w D,.N1W ..TERSEY,ASSIGNOR TO THE m tt si'eniiii M, onrof LttersPatent.-' -=z= 'iatentee*nea In -196s. Applicationflled. January 10, 1908.Seri'a1No.410,277.

tion A and -Station B are represented in the diagram and the epparatusinvolved in the mutual operations of these stations is shown, while theapparatus by which each station cooperates with the next station beyondis omitted, as it is merely a duplication of the apparatus shown. 1

} Each .station is provided with. a west bound signal 5, and aneast-bound signal 6.

The signals are of the normal danger type,; and are electricallycontrolled by a control, ling device 7. This device may be an electric.slot, in which case it will be applied directly to the signal postasshown, or an electric lock applied in the usual manner to the sigral-operating mechanism, or it may be a sig nal-actuating device. In anycase the essential characteristicis the fact that the signal cannotbeset or maintained at safety position except when the electric controldevice is energized. 1 f

' To prevent interference between trains moving in 0 posite directionseach signal is provided wit a circuit breaker 8 connected directly withthe semaphore or the semaphore rod. These circuit breakers are. includedin the route circuit and are closed when the signals are at dangerosition.

g Each station is rovided wit a track relay 9, which is inc uded inv thetrack circuit and controls contact fingers 10. A signalis finallyestablished. A route-circuit relay 14, energized by the closing oftheroute-circuit, controls contact fingers 15, and an indicator 16 whichindicates the closing of the route-circuit to transmit a release, and isalso 9 preferably provided with a backstroke bell 17 for a purpose to bereferred to later.,

. Thev manual control of the electrical apparatus is effected by aplunger circuit closer 20.. When the plunger is pulled it closes'onecircuit and assists in the transmission of a release, and-when it ispushed it closes, another circuit and assists in the receptionof arelease. It is normally held in neutralinoy erative position by aspringor other suitab e arrangement. r p i 1 The stations are connected by anormall open route-circuit comprising route wires. 2

' and 23, and the operatorscommunicatewith the rails and controlled bythe polarized re-' lay. A condenser bridges the relay 26 to avoidresistance the operation of the telephones.

The circuits connecting the apparatus above referred to can be describedmost conveniently in connection with the description of the operation ofthe apparatus.

When an operatorat either station wishes to set his incoming signal tosafety toadmit a train to the block he must secure a release of hissignal or signal-operating mechanism by the slot 7, and for this theconjoint action of the operators at both, ends of the blockis necessary.The electrical operations by which a release is effected involve threedis-- tinct steps.

The first step is the establishment of the route-circuit by the actionof the operators, the second ste isthe automatic establishment of thetrac circuit resulting from the establishment of the route-circuit,

' and the third step is the establishment of a local circuit through theslot resulting auto matically from the establishment of the trackcircuit.

The operation'of the apparatus will now be more specifically described.Suppose the operator at A wishes to set his incoming signal 6 atsafet toadmit an east-bound train to theblock -13. He communicates with oeratorB by telephone, and if everything is c ear the operator B pullshis plunger 20, while operator A pushes his plunger. The route-circuitis now established as follows: from'station battery 21, at station B, bywires 38 and 39, to the magnet of relay 14,

thence to pull-contacts, 40 of plunger 20,

which are now connected by the pulling of the plunger, thence, throughwire 41, to a normally-closed contact finger of track relay 9, thence tothe circuit breaker 8 on signal 5, thence by wires 42 and 43, to thecircuit breaker 8 on signal 6, and thence by wire 22,

through the magnet'of relay 26, and on by.

the W1I822 to" station A; at station A the circuit passes through thecircuit breaker 8 on signal 5, thence, by wires'44 and 45, to the pushcontacts 46 of plunger 20, thence, by

" wire 47, to the magnet of a relay '18, and

thence back to station B by a wire 48 and-the route wire 23.

' The energization of the route-circuit relay 14 at station B i hasthree immediate eflect's.

This- The indicator 16 moves'to indicate the comone of the contactfingers 15, which has been raised to engage a front contact, andthence,by wire 49, directly to wire 41, "thereby bridging the plunger 20, sothat the movement of the indicator 16 notifies the operator that he mayrelease his plunger without breaking the circuit. I 1

The track circuit established by the relay 14 at station B passes fromthe track battery 36,'by wire 50, to-a back-contactand contact finger 19of a normally deenergized relay 18, thence, by wire 51, to the secondcontact finger of relay 14, thence, by wire 52, to contact fingerlqoftrack relay 9, andfthence, by wire-53 and rail 1,;to cut-section 4. Herethe relay 26 has already been energized, by the closing of theroute-circuit through wire 22, so that contact fingers 28 are in closedposition', and contact fingers27 are in righthand position as shown inthe drawing. From rail 1 the track circuitfpasses through the wire 54, acontact finger'28, wire 55, a contact finger 27, wire 56, the magnet ofrelay 31, wire 57, and rail 2, and thence, at station I B, by wires 58'and 59, back to battery 36.

The energization of therelay 31 causes the breaker'key 63,to be referredto later, thence,

by wire 64, toa contact finger 19"of relay 18, which has previously beenraised to engage a front contact by the closing ofthe route-circuitthrough the relay 18, thence, by wire 65, rail 1, and wire 66at thecut-section, to contact finger 28, thence, by wire'67', to contactfinger 27, by wire 68, to contactfinger 32, and thence back to battery33.

The second step in" the operation of the ap: paratus is now completed,and the third step results from the energizing of trackrelay 9 atstation A. Contact fingers 10 are raised and have two immediateoperations. One of these is to close a branch circuit through wire 69 bywhich the plunger 20 is bridged, so that the operator may release theplun er without breaking the route-circuit. T e other operation of thecontact-fingers 10 is to complete a local circuit through the:signalcircuit relay 11. This'circuit is from battery 21, at stationAfthroughwire 71, the magnet of relay 11,- wire 72, contact finger.

10,"wire 7 3', wire 74 and wire 23 back to the battery. 'Relay 11thereupon transmits releasing current to the signa by a branch fromwire'7-1- byway of the contact finger 13 and release ea no' wire 75 andfrom the turns tli' ugh;

shortf-ci'i-cuiting of track relay 9 .by the llhe efl ect'of this is' torelease contact 10} thereby" allowing them to fall and I "p I tli'sticik circuit of the relay 1.8 thi-joug h wire" 692? The route-circuitbeing i'us' alr the, relays are deenergized an'd th app at returns tonormal condiez'fi g'. :5. I. I

As long as the train remains in'the block a 2oi tion Plays;

by the return of indicator sition, and t now becomes eratorto-commumcate eastin'orderto seciire a release of his signal 6.

1f the-next communication between stati ons A 'a'iid 'B isa'release inthe same direc- '-tion as before' the polarized contact fingers 27 ofrela "26remai'n' in right-hand osition, but 'if'a-re ease is to be"transmitted rom station A to station B to admit a west-bound train, thecurrent in the route-circuit is opposite to its first direction of flow,and contact fingers 2 7 are reversed,'so as to put'the cut-sectionapparatus. into condition to establish a track"- circuit from battery 34to station B. The operation of the station a paratus is, in such a case,in all respects ana ogous but opposite to the operation in transmittinga .release from B to A.

The contact fin ers of the'track relays 9, in addition to contributingto the normal operation of the apparatus in the ways hereinbeforedescribe are also included both in the track circuit from battery 36 andin the route circuit. This is. not essential to" the operation of theapparatus,but is ,merely a safeguard to revent the-transmission ofreleases in both 'rections at onceand the possible entrance of twotrains at once into the block from opposite directions.

' In some cases it may be desirable, after a release has been secured,to return the apparatus again to normal condition, as, for examdple,when a train expected to enter a block is iverted or sent back so as notto enter and release the apparatus in the normal manner.

For this pur ose the manual recall ke 63 is provided. y depressing thiskey t e circuit through the track relay 9 is interrupted,

with the same effect as when the relay is 6 v short-circuited by atrain.

' Vi gets, na'lsa ttmanealtyrat V W p 5 #11. -Y. d ately upon. theentrance ot atra Fwiththejoperato at the next station to the,

Ti es? the fact block'and cannot be set clear-in hithefdnection untilthetrain has passed e'i'itir'ely from the block." As all batteries arenormally inoperative the current consumptionis very small, and thereliability of the system is increased. et

It is obvious that various.jmodificatidns' may be made inthe'systeinhereinbeforede' scribed and illustrated in the drawing withinthe nature and scope of the invention asidefined in the claims. i

I claim 1 1. An electric lock-and-block signal sys? tern comprising asignal," an electric signalcontrollin device, a route circuit connectingtwo sign'a stations, a track circuit, means for closing the routecircuit, meanscperating automatically u on the closing of the routecircuit to close t e track circuit; and'nicans operating automatic-ally,upon the closing pt the track ci'rcuit, to operate thesignal-controlling devicetorelease the signal.

2. An electric lock-aml-blocksignalsystem comprising a signal,an'c'lectriq signalcontrolling device, a route circuit connhcting two simi stations, manually operable means or closing the routecircuitfrn'eans o crating automatically, uponthe closing-to i -",.-.t eroute circuit, to close thetrackcircuit,

and means acting automatically, upon the closing of the track circuit,to operate the signal-controlling device to release the signal.

3. An electric lock-and-block signal system comprising a signal, anelectric signal- ,controlling device, a route circuit connecting twosignal stations, a track circuit, manuallyoperable means at bothstations operable simultaneously to complete the route circuit, means 0crating automatically, upon the closing 0 the route circuit, to closethe track circuit, and means acting automatically, upon the closing ofthe track circuit, to operate the signal-controlling device to releasethe signal.

4. An electric lock-and-block signal system comprising a signal, anelectric signalcontrolling device, a route circuit, a continuous trackcircuit, normally open, automatic means for closing the track circuitupon the closing of the route circuit, means acting autornatically, uponthe closing of the tract: circuit, to operate the signal-controllingdeviceto release the signal, and means operating automatically to openthe track circuit when a train enters the block.

5. An electric lock-and-block signal sys- 131} tem comprising a signal,an electric signal controlling device, a routecircuit, normally open,connectlng'two signal stations, a contmuous track clrcuit, normallyopen, means for closing the route circuit, means operatingautomatically, u on the closing of t circuit, to close t e trackcircuit,means acte route ing automatically, upon the closing of the trackcircuit tooperate the signal-controlling.

the closing of t e route circuit, to close the track circuit, meansacting automatically,

cuit when a train enters the block;

device'to release the signal, and means oper- .ating automatically toopen the track circuit gird/lire route circuit when a train enters theoc 6. An electric lock-an(lblock signal system comprising a signal, anelectric signalcon'trolling device, a route circuit, normally open",connecting two signal stations, a con.-

tmuous track circuit, normally open, manually-operable means for closingthe route circult, means operating automatically, upon the closing ofthe route circuit, to close the track circuit, means actingautomatically,

upon theclosing of the track circuit,'to opergl ate thesignal-controlling device to'release the signal, and means operatingautomatically to open the track circuit-and the route cir .7. Anelectric lock-and-block signal system comprising a signal, an electricsignalupon the closing of the track circuit, to operate thesignal-controlling device to release the signal, and means operatingautomat ically to open the track circuit and the route circuit when atrain enters the block;

8. An electric lock-and-block Sigi al system comprising a continuoustrac circuit provided with a cut section,"a track battery at one end ofthe track circuit for energizing the track circuit to the cut section, abattery at-the 'cut section for energizing the track circuit from thecut section to the other end of the block, a route circuit connectingthe signal stations, and a relay at the cut section interposed in theroute circuit and operating to control the track circuit from the cutsection to the end of the block.

9. An electric lo'ck-and-block si al system comprising a continuous'trac circuit provided with a cut section, track batteries at the endsof the block for'energizing the track circuit to the cut section, trackrelays and batteries at the cut section for energizing the track circuitfrom the cut section to the ends of the block, a route. circuitconnecting the signal stations, and a polarized relay at the cut sectioninterposed in the route circuit and connected with the track relays soas to opcrate to determine, according to the direction of the currentin'the'route circuit, the direction of operation of the track' relays.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.5 ROBERT J. HEWETT. Witnesses:

BERNARD CoWEN, WM. ASHLEY KELLY.

